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Hans Burkhardt
Ensign
Joined: 05 Aug 2004
Posts: 53
Location: USA
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 Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 2:28 am Post subject: |
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| If we're talking about the same thing, we referred to them as "Ghost Boats" because they didn't exist. The ones I got close to were manned by ROKs with an American advisor. |
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Tom Poole
Vice Admiral
Joined: 07 Aug 2004
Posts: 914
Location: America
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| Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 2:35 am Post subject: |
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| Hans Burkhardt wrote: | | If we're talking about the same thing... |
I'm going to risk getting in over my head (because I used the term freely) but I think we're talking about the sailors who manned Patrol Craft Fast (PCF) vessels, commonly referred to as Swift Boats. As an outsider, I thought a Swiftee was that same sailor and a volunteer, I might add.
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'58 Airedale HMR(L)-261 VMO-2 |
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Hans Burkhardt
Ensign
Joined: 05 Aug 2004
Posts: 53
Location: USA
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| Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 2:38 am Post subject: |
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| Sorry for the confusion, the conversation drifted a little toward the PT type boats that had a presence there. |
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Tom Poole
Vice Admiral
Joined: 07 Aug 2004
Posts: 914
Location: America
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| Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 2:48 am Post subject: |
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| Hans Burkhardt wrote: | | ...conversation drifted a little toward the PT type boats... |
Thanks Hans, I never heard a PT Boat called a Ghost Boat. I learned my new thing for today. And I too, am sorry for the confusion.
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'58 Airedale HMR(L)-261 VMO-2 |
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mtboone
Founder
Joined: 10 May 2004
Posts: 470
Location: Kansas City, MO.
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| Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:02 am Post subject: |
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What are we called? I put it out on our Chat room and I will send you the results of what we have totaled. Corsi was not a Swift so what is said, could be mistakened in the context of what John said.
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Terry Boone PCF 90
Qui Nhon 68-69 |
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Hans Burkhardt
Ensign
Joined: 05 Aug 2004
Posts: 53
Location: USA
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| Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:09 am Post subject: |
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| Tom, I'm not sure how widely the term was used; it could have just been a term that we came up with and used among ourselves. |
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cgc
Seaman Recruit
Joined: 03 Jun 2004
Posts: 47
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| Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 5:29 am Post subject: Call us anything but late for supper! |
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Ok, Buffalojack asked the question and I answered. It does not mean I am against being called a Swiftie, Swifty, Swiftee. I personally refer to myself as a Swift Boat Sailor, The group, maybe Swifty's, I first heard the term swiftys being used by our other group members ( Swift Boat Sailors Assoc.) on our site over 5 years ago. But anyways call me what you want, I am very surprised that Swift Vets and POW's for Truth have put a face on what was a very small and tight knit community. I for one have always been proud of the crews I have had the good fortune to work with in Viet Nam. It seems like the American Public now knows more about the sacrifices that Viet Nam Veterans made, the contribution that the Swift Boats made to the war effort, and has a better understanding of the Military. And thats a good thing.
cgc, Swift Boat Crew 6C, 1968-1969, Antoi, Danang |
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Hans Burkhardt
Ensign
Joined: 05 Aug 2004
Posts: 53
Location: USA
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| Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 5:57 am Post subject: |
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You should be proud; a great bunch of guys. |
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rbshirley
Founder
Joined: 07 May 2004
Posts: 394
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| Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 10:51 am Post subject: |
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| 1991932 wrote: | When we circled back for the third time, the "PT" boat had the fishing boat
stopped dead in the water. Somebody on the "PT" boat waved to us as we
streaked overhead at 100' and about 400 kts. |
I do not know what it is about "zoomies" (since we are discussing "swifties")
that somehow attracted them to want to make death defying low pass runs
runs on poor innocent and defenseless Swift Boats. But the practice became
quite prevelant during my time both in I and II Corps in 1967.
We had long transist times along the coast to our assigned patrol areas, so
we were vulnerable to just about every swinging dick "Smiling Jack" that was
bored with whatever it was that he supposed to be doing, and took time out
to give the "swabbies" a cheap thrill and bring an evil smile to his own face.
But after the first few times, the joke got a little old to those on the receiving
end. We evolved into a calm response where all the sailor in the gun tub had
to do was say "Here comes another one" and we would pick up a coke can and
be prepared to toss it in the flight path of whatever joker was "attacking" us.
We didn't expect to be successful, but at least it kept them high enough that
our HF and radar antennas were not in jeopardy! F4's, A4's and the like were
not so much a problem as were the C-130's and C-123's. I also read on an Army
helicopter web site where a Huey gunship crewman was boasting about taking
pot shots at a PCF with an M-60 "Just to see if it lived up to its name of being
SWIFT. Isn't it fun to watch it swerve dodging the tracers!" {Bastard "gruntie"}
There was, of course, a serious side to this business. Several documented cases
of blue-on-blue sustained air attacks on Navy Swifts and USCG cutters did in
fact occur with horrific consequences to both the vessels and their crews.
See the following web page on one such incident: Target of Opportunity
That was the reason for a blue circle with white star on the pilot house overhead.
But with thirty plus years hind sight, we will forgive your quite common sin of
surrendering to temptation and adding a little zest to your sorry ass fighter
jock hum drum life style. {Can you say "gyrenie" with a stright face?} 
Aint friendly interservice rivalry INTERESTING !!
.
Last edited by rbshirley on Thu Nov 11, 2004 9:01 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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BuffaloJack
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 10 Aug 2004
Posts: 1637
Location: Buffalo, New York
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| Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 12:15 pm Post subject: |
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mtboone:
You are correct on the Ghost Boat thing. They were ghost boats when they were on special ops and nasty boats when they were acknowledged. Also, I had forgotten the term zoomie. The last time I heard the term zoomie was when I was in Qui Nhon. Adm. Zunwalt had issued an order stating that we could all grow beards if we wanted. As some of us began the itchy growth (it was the tropics) our CO called us zoomies, indicating those of us with beards.
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Swift Boats - Qui Nhon (12/69-4/70), Cat Lo (4/70-5/70), Vung Tau (5/70-12/71)
Last edited by BuffaloJack on Mon Nov 08, 2004 12:40 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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BuffaloJack
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 10 Aug 2004
Posts: 1637
Location: Buffalo, New York
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| Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 12:39 pm Post subject: |
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LimaCharley,
I see that there were a bunch of us here who were at Qui Nhon; mtboone was there but left about 4 months before I arrived. I was there for 4-1/2 months (12/69-4/70). You apparently got there about 4 months after I was shipped off to the 3rd Coastal Zone. Three of us from Qui Nhon got sent as Vietnamization shrunk the ranks of the US personnel on the base. It seemed as if Vietnamization followed me wherever I went. When I got to Cat Lo (COSDIV13), I was only there about 4 or 5 weeks when they got orders to cut staff some more. In May of 70, I finally settled at the CSC in Vung Tau. I was at Vung Tau for 18 months, until I returned stateside.
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Swift Boats - Qui Nhon (12/69-4/70), Cat Lo (4/70-5/70), Vung Tau (5/70-12/71) |
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rbshirley
Founder
Joined: 07 May 2004
Posts: 394
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| Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 5:10 pm Post subject: Re: Swiftee, Swifty or Swiftie? |
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| BuffaloJack wrote: | | Which is the correct spelling Swiftee, Swifty or Swiftie? |
Swift Boat sailor and SBSA (Swift Boat Sailors Assn) member Jack Shamley
is nominated for the most politically correct answer to your question.
{Ken Briggs is the sailor that handles the Swift merchandise for SBSA}
| Jack Shamley wrote: |
I am a swifty, a swiftie is your better half, and a swiftee is what Ken Briggs sells.
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Maybe Seven-11 will come out with a replacement for the Slurpee?
. |
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BuffaloJack
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 10 Aug 2004
Posts: 1637
Location: Buffalo, New York
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| Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2004 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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It works for me.
I like Jack Shamley's PC reply.
_________________
Swift Boats - Qui Nhon (12/69-4/70), Cat Lo (4/70-5/70), Vung Tau (5/70-12/71) |
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LimaCharlie
PO2
Joined: 25 Aug 2004
Posts: 386
Location: Oregon
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| Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 12:39 am Post subject: |
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| BuffaloJack wrote: | LimaCharley,
I see that there were a bunch of us here who were at Qui Nhon; mtboone was there but left about 4 months before I arrived. I was there for 4-1/2 months (12/69-4/70). You apparently got there about 4 months after I was shipped off to the 3rd Coastal Zone. Three of us from Qui Nhon got sent as Vietnamization shrunk the ranks of the US personnel on the base. It seemed as if Vietnamization followed me wherever I went. When I got to Cat Lo (COSDIV13), I was only there about 4 or 5 weeks when they got orders to cut staff some more. In May of 70, I finally settled at the CSC in Vung Tau. I was at Vung Tau for 18 months, until I returned stateside. |
I was assigned as an advisor on the Swift Boats when I arrived in Qui Nhon, but was reassigned to the ET shop. I was a proud member of the one and only US Navy tank crew while I was there. We made Navy Times. It was an Army duster tank with twin forty mm guns on the turret. The CO talked the Army into dropping it off after they wrote it off as a war loss when they were pulling out. An engineman got the engine running, a gunners mate got the guns working, and I installed the communications equipment. I manned the fifty caliber to the right of the turret. We operated outside the base perimeter with it and also took it over to the Army’s qualifying range. We did pass all qualifications. We also loaded it on one of the LCM-8 landing craft and called it our heavy cruiser in support of the swift boat operations.
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I was going to become an anarchist, but they had too many rules. |
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swctexas
Seaman Apprentice
Joined: 08 Aug 2004
Posts: 86
Location: Houston, Texas
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| Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 1:58 am Post subject: |
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Deleted by Admin
Last edited by swctexas on Fri Sep 30, 2005 10:01 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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